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Head-to-head comparison

Kimi K3 vs GPT-5.3-Codex

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and GPT-5.3-Codex (OpenAI) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, Kimi K3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#3 vs #20); GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper per output token ($14.00/1M vs $15.00/1M); and Kimi K3 offers the longer context window (1M vs 400K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #3 against #20 (81.4 vs 66.4 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 400K.
  • you want provider choice — 12 listed API providers against 2.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 59.7 against 45.5.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Kimi K3 was listed 16 July 2026, GPT-5.3-Codex 24 February 2026.

Choose GPT-5.3-Codex if…

  • API cost matters — $14.00/1M output tokens against $15.00/1M.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.75/1M against $3.00/1M.

Kimi K3 vs GPT-5.3-Codex: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Kimi K3 and GPT-5.3-Codex
FieldKimi K3Moonshot AIGPT-5.3-CodexOpenAI
ModelCap Index position#3#20
Index score81.466.4
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$3.00$1.75
Output price / 1M tokens$15.00$14.00
Context window1M tokens400K tokens
Max output tokens1M128K
API providers listed122
Weight accessRestricted licenseAPI only
Input modalitiesText, Image, VideoText, Image, File
First listed16 July 202624 February 2026
PublisherMoonshot AIOpenAI

Evidence: 5 public benchmark observations across 5 boards · 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Kimi K3 vs GPT-5.3-Codex

Public benchmark boards where Kimi K3 or GPT-5.3-Codex has a published result
BoardKimi K3GPT-5.3-CodexLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15431532–1554MaxOnly one result
LMArena AgentLMArena10.6%9.6%–11.6%MaxOnly one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation60.4%MaxOnly one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis59.7intelligence-index45.5intelligence-indexKimi K3

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Kimi K3 vs GPT-5.3-Codex: common questions

Is Kimi K3 better than GPT-5.3-Codex?

Kimi K3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #3 against #20. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than GPT-5.3-Codex?

GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper on output tokens: $14.00/1M against $15.00/1M. Input tokens are $3.00/1M for Kimi K3 and $1.75/1M for GPT-5.3-Codex. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, Kimi K3 or GPT-5.3-Codex?

Kimi K3 has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 400K.

Which is better for coding, Kimi K3 or GPT-5.3-Codex?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are Kimi K3 and GPT-5.3-Codex open-weight models?

Kimi K3: Restricted license. GPT-5.3-Codex: API only. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Kimi K3 and GPT-5.3-Codex?

ModelCap currently lists 12 API providers for Kimi K3 and 2 for GPT-5.3-Codex, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Kimi K3 vs GPT-5.3-Codex comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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